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When the Cold War ended, the West hoped for an “end of history” (Francis Fukuyama), a world of liberal democracies including Russia and China. 30 years later these hopes have turned out to be illusions. Russia tries to revise the post Cold War international order by ruthlessly using force, and China has become identified the expansive global rival discounting the Western belief that successful market economy and liberal democracy finally have to go hand in hand. This seminar should lead to a deeper understanding of the present world order and its convulsions by exploring (1) the events of 1989/90 in Europe, Africa, the Middle East and China, (2) contemporary expectations and conflicts about the settlement of a post Cold War world order and (3) its subsequent unsettling particularly since 2008.